< PreviousWEEKNIGHTS 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY 9:00 a.m.KENTUCKY BASKETBALL 14 @KentuckyMBB From Press Row Last Time Out: North Carolina Recap It was billed as a game between experi- ence and talented youth. No. 9 North Car- olina had a ton of experience, with players like RJ Davis and Armando Bacot. No. 14 Kentucky had its super-talented freshman class. In the end, it was the talented freshmen from Kentucky who not only prevailed, but who handled the pressure down the stretch in an 87-83 win over North Carolina in At- lanta. Kentucky’s last eight points, and 18 of its last 20, were scored by freshmen. Rob Dill- ingham came off the bench to lead UK with 17 points. Fellow freshman D.J. Wagner had 14, while classmate Aaron Bradshaw had 12. Reed Sheppard came off the bench to score 11. Add the eight points from Justin Edwards and Kentucky’s freshmen account- ed for 62 of UK’s 87 points. Kentucky (8-2) got out of the gates quick- ly behind Bradshaw, who scored five of UK’s first nine. The Cats would lead 11-4 early before Carolina scored four straight. The Cats would score the next six and would soon establish a 20-10 lead. The Cats would go up by 11 at 24-13 on a Wagner layup. But after building the dou- ble-digit advantage, the Cats went cold. UK missed 10 shots in a row and had a stretch where it only made one out of 12 shots. However, the Cats were able to maintain the lead and that stretch came to an end on a Reed Sheppard jumper in the lane. That was the first of three consecutive made shots for the Cats that gave UK a 10-point advantage, 37-27 with 4:27 left in the first half. UK would lead 40-30 with 2:45 left in the half but North Carolina scored the final eight points of the half to cut the UK advantage to 40-38 at the break. Carolina tied the game for the first time early in the second half on a Cormac Ryan layup but Kentucky answered with seven in a row, staring with a Wagner three. After Ryan hit a three for the Tar Heels, UK scored the next eight, including threes from Reeves and Dillingham, to lead 55-43 with 15:23 to play. The Tar Heels answered with six in a row in what would become a second half trend. The Cats would start to pull away but Carolina would make a run of it’s own. All the while, Kentucky never gave up the lead. Until UNC’s Armando Bacot hit a pair of free throws with 5:15 to play, giving the Tar Heels a 72-71 advantage. That lead lasted exactly 16 seconds. Kentucky responded with layups from Brad- shaw, and Dillingham twice, to lead 77-72 with 3:52 to play. North Caroli- na would be able to climb within a single point once more, 81-80. From there, the Cats were able to make enough plays and hit enough free throws to hang on for the win. And it might not have been the same without this talent- ed group of fresh- men. Final Tidbits from the North Carolina game: • Kentucky is 5-5 all-time in the CBS Sports Clas- sic, including 4-1 against North Car- olina in the event. • UK is 71-33 all-time in games played in Atlanta, including 1-2 vs. North Carolina. • Kentucky is now 2-1 against top-10 ranked op- ponents this sea- son, with wins over North Carolina and Mi- ami and a loss to Kansas (opponent ranking at time of game). • Kentucky won the rebounding, 42-32, going +10 in rebounding for the second straight game. UK is 5-0 this season when leading the boardwork. • UK won offensive rebounding 18- 6, leading to a 15-6 advantage in sec- ond-chance points. • Led by Adou Thiero’s career-high four blocked shots, UK had a season-high nine blocks. • Kentucky led by as many as 12 points. UK is 336-15 (95.7%) in the Calipari era when leading by at least 10 points at any time in the contest. • Rob Dillingham led UK with 17 points. He has scored in double figures in every game but one this season. • D.J. Wagner had 14 points, tied for the team lead in rebounds with six, and had a game-high five assists. UK is 8-0 this season when he scores at least five points. • Making his first collegiate start, Aar- on Bradshaw had 12 points, his second straight game in double figures. He led Kentucky in plus/minus with a +9 total. • Reed Sheppard notched 11 points, tied for the team high with six rebounds, and had two steals – extending his streak of at least two steals in every game this sea- son. • Antonio Reeves had nine points, the first game this season he did not hit double figures. He extended his streak of 21 consec- utive games with a 3-pointer, longest UK streak since Kellan Grady had a 21-game stretch in the 2021-22 season. • Tre Mitchell had eight points and five rebounds. He has had at least four boards in every game this season. • Adou Thiero had seven points and a career-best four blocked shots. • Ugonna Onyenso saw his first ac- tion of the season, totaling one point, one rebound and three blocked shots in 10 minutes.Thank You to Our CORNERSTONE PARTNERS OFFICIAL BANK OF UK ATHLETICSNEKENTUCKY BASKETBALL 18 @KentuckyMBB Around the SEC Around the Country 2023-24 SEC Standings and Statistics Team SEC Overall Home Road Ole Miss 0-0 11-0 8-0 2-0 South Carolina 0-0 10-1 6-0 1-1 Mississippi State 0-0 9-2 4-1 0-1 Auburn 0-0 8-2 4-0 0-1 Kentucky 0-0 8-2 6-1 0-0 Florida 0-0 8-3 4-0 0-1 Tennessee 0-0 8-3 5-0 1-1 Georgia 0-0 7-3 6-0 1-0 Arkansas 0-0 7-4 5-1 0-0 Missouri 0-0 7-4 5-2 2-1 Texas A&M 0-0 7-4 3-1 2-1 Alabama 0-0 6-4 5-1 0-1 LSU 0-0 6-5 4-2 0-1 Vanderbilt 0-0 4-7 4-4 0-0 Scoring Player-Team ...................................................................PPG Mark Sears, ALA ............................................................21.2 Wade Taylor IV, TAMU ...................................................18.6 Meechie Johnson, SC .....................................................18.3 Antonio Reeves, UK ......................................................17.1 Sean East II, MIZZOU ....................................................17.1 Rebounding Player-Team ...................................................................RPG Henry Coleman III, TAMU ...............................................9.1 Tyrese Samuel, UF ...........................................................8.6 Jimmy Bell Jr., MISS ST ....................................................8.6 Johni Broome, AUB .........................................................8.0 Andersson Garcia, TAMU ................................................7.4 Assists Player-Team ...................................................................APG Zyon Pullin, UF ...............................................................5.0 Wade Taylor IV, TAMU .....................................................4.8 Ta'Lon Cooper, SC ...........................................................4.6 Zakai Zeigler, UT .............................................................4.5 Rob Dillingham, UK ........................................................4.5 Steals Player-Team ...................................................................SPG Reed Sheppard, UK .........................................................2.9 Matthew Murrell, MISS ....................................................2.5 Cameron Matthews, MISS ST ...........................................2.4 Wade Taylor IV, TAMU .....................................................2.3 Dashawn Davis, MISS ST .................................................2.0 Blocks Player-Team ...................................................................BPG Jamarion Sharp, MISS ......................................................2.8 Aidan Shaw, MIZZOU .....................................................2.0 Jonas Aidoo, UT ..............................................................1.6 Trevon Brazile, ARK .........................................................1.6 Johni Broome, AUB .........................................................1.6 (through December 19 games) 2023-24 Associated Press Rankings As of December 18, 2023 (week 7) Team Record Points 1 Purdue (48) 10-1 1534 2 Kansas (6) 10-1 1457 3 Houston (8) 11-0 1394 4 Arizona 8-1 1372 5 UConn 10-1 1367 6 Marquette 9-2 1235 7 Oklahoma 10-0 1062 8 Tennessee 8-3 983 9 Kentucky 8-2 981 10 Baylor 9-1 896 11 North Carolina 7-3 773 12 Creighton 9-2 734 13 Illinois 8-2 727 14 Florida Atlantic 9-2 716 15 Gonzaga 8-3 642 16 Colorado State 10-1 588 17 BYU 10-1 569 18 Clemson 9-1 501 19 Texas 8-2 449 20 James Madison 10-0 442 21 Duke 7-3 311 22 Virginia 9-1 287 23 Memphis 8-2 274 24 Wisconsin 8-3 269 25 Ole Miss 10-0 180We’re your Shield. We’re your Shelter. ShelterInsurance.com • 1-800-SHELTER WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE KENTUCKY WILDCATS! KENTUCKY WILDCATS! ® ANDERSON, IN Jordan Harper BARDSTOWN Tyler Bruington BEAVER DAM Robbie Parham BOWLING GREEN Nancy Hickey Drew Hayes BUTLER Jason Laytart CAMPBELLSVILLE Taylor Burress CARLISLE Bill Clark CYNTHIANA Lee Adkins DANVILLE Troy Wheeler ELIZABETHTOWN Jamie Martin Alice Slaubaugh EMINENCE Fred Downey EVANSVILLE, IN Rick Koberstein FAIRDALE Jamie Norsworthy FLEMINGSBURG Cole Clark FLORENCE Rocky Bryan Brandi Monday FRANKLIN Lauren Roberts FRANKFORT BJ Hurst Audrey Marshall GEORGETOWN Steve Black Spencer Kilpatrick HARDINSBURG Sandra Bruington HARRODSBURG Jamie Dunn HENDERSON Megan Brown HODGENVILLE Teddy Sandford HOPKINSVILLE Alexander Capps Scott Leuckel LAGRANGE Paula Kaeser LANCASTER Cindy Lanham LAWRENCEBURG Ashley Bailey LEITCHFIELD Donna Vanmeter LEXINGTON Tony Arnold Ed Carr Linda Fugate Dawan Hart Heather Lewis Josh Miniard Willie Morrison Gene Young LIBERTY Kevin Atwood LIVERMORE Katie Gunterman LONDON Jeffery Anderson LOUISVILLE Amy Brown Corinne Ramsier Larissa Spears MADISONVILLE Brandi Hughes MAYFIELD Steve Jones MOREHEAD Caleb Staggs MOUNT STERLING Elizabeth Shelley MURRAY Doug Henry NICHOLASVILLE Marc Miller Russ Owens OWENSBORO Karen Keller PADUCAH Toby Boone RICHMOND Ashley Kovaleski Evan Worrell SHELBYVILLE Scott Martin SLAUGHTERS Sam Westfall SOMERSET Jason Weatherford SPRINGFIELD Sue Blair STANFORD Sean Slusher UNION Joey Bailey VERSAILLES Janice Frasier WINCHESTER Kay Brandenburg Olin WoolumKENTUCKY BASKETBALL 20 @KentuckyMBB Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 6 p.m. Saturday January Tennessee Lexington, Ky. 8:30 p.m. Saturday February Gonzaga Lexington, Ky. 4 p.m. Saturday February Ole Miss Lexington, Ky. 9 p.m. Tuesday February Auburn Auburn, Ala. 6 p.m. Saturday February Vanderbilt Lexington, Ky. 9 p.m. Wednesday March Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn. 4 p.m. Saturday March SEC Tournament Nashville, Tenn. TBA Wed.-Sun. March 13-17 NCAA Tournament Final Four® Phoenix | TBA March- April TBA LSU Baton Rouge, La. 9 p.m. February Alabama Lexington, Ky. 4 p.m. Saturday February Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 7 p.m. Tuesday February Arkansas Lexington, Ky. 1:30 p.m. Saturday March Florida Lexington, Ky. 8 p.m. January Mississippi State Lexington, Ky. 7 p.m. January Georgia Lexington, Ky. 6 p.m. Saturday January South Carolina Columbia, S.C. 7 p.m. Tuesday January Kansas Chicago L, 84-89 Tuesday November New Mexico State Lexington, Ky. W, 86-46 Monday November Texas A&M- Lexington, Ky. W, 81-61 Friday November Miami Lexington, Ky. W, 95-73 Tuesday November UNC-Wilmington Lexington, Ky. L, 73-80 Saturday December Penn Philadelphia W, 81-66 Saturday December Stonehill Lexington, Ky. W, 101-67 Friday November Saint Joseph's Lexington, Ky. W, 96-88 (OT) Monday November Marshall Lexington, Ky. W, 118-82 Friday November Louisville Louisville, Ky. 6 p.m. Thursday December Illinois State Lexington, Ky. 7 p.m. Friday December Missouri Lexington, Ky. 7 p.m. Tuesday January Florida Gainesville, Fla. 12:30 p.m. Saturday January Texas A&M 2 p.m. Saturday January North Carolina Atlanta Saturday December Home Neutral Away 2023-24 Basketball Schedule Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn. 8:30 p.m. Tuesday February Wildcat Challenge presented by Kentucky Tourism Wildcat Challenge presented by Kentucky Tourism Wildcat Challenge presented by Kentucky Tourism ACC/SEC Challenge CBS Sports Classic State Farm Champions ClassicSUBSCRIBE TO PODCASTS TODAY! SPORTS NETWORKSPORTS NETWORK The John Calipari Show Behind Kentucky BasketballNext >